Paper Wings
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: "I was absolutely certain that I was right in what I had told Diaval before: there was no such thing as a true love's kiss. True love did not exist." Maleficent is about to be proven wrong. Part I takes place during the movie with some missing scenes added in; part II will be post-movie. Pairings: Maleficent/Stefan and Maleficent/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello everyone! As promised, here my _Maleficent_ two-shot and my first _Maleficent _fanfic in general. To keep you occupied until I start posting my new Wicked and Frozen stories ;).**

**I guess Maleficent is maybe a little bit OOC... the thing is, I wanted to capture her during her relationship with Stefan and then after; and the next chapter will be post-movie. I figured she, too, changes throughout the movie and throughout her life, depending on what happens to her, so... well, you'll see.**

* * *

**Maleficent**

On my sixteenth birthday, I took Stefan flying for the first time.

He had always been intrigued by my wings. He said he loved them, he said he thought they were beautiful. Whenever he touched them, I experienced this strange tingling sensation that ran all through my wings, making them quiver, only to take over my body shortly thereafter. I wasn't sure what it meant, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

He asked me once how strong they were, my wings; and when I told him they always carried me everywhere I wanted, that I could always rely on them, he replied wistfully that he wished he had wings, too, so that he could feel what I felt when I was flying through the sky.

And so that day, when he visited, I wrapped my arms around him from behind.

"Do you trust me?" I asked him.

He nodded.

I pressed my chest to his back and allowed my magic to flow from my fingertips, causing some tree roots and branches to curl around the both of us. They strapped Stefan in some sort of harness that secured his body against mine so that he would not fall down once I would take flight. When it was done, I said, "Ready?"

He just nodded again and said, "Yes."

I nodded, too, and smiled. "Here we go."

Then I leapt high up into the air, trusting my wings, as always, to carry my weight – and this time Stefan's, as well.

I heard him gasp and my smile widened. For his sake, I kept myself from performing any of the impressive manoeuvres I usually executed whenever I was flying alone; instead, I just flew horizontally, easily dodging rocks and trees and waterfalls. The wind was blowing my long, dark hair back as I flew over the forest and across the Moors, showing it all to Stefan, who was silent with awe beneath me.

"This is amazing," he said at some point, sounding a little breathless.

"I know," I said. I dove down, flying so low that our bare feet skimmed the water in the river beneath us. Stefan laughed and I spun up again, twirling around. I didn't go as high as I usually did, but that was okay. This flight was for Stefan; and judging by the expression I saw on his face when we landed and I unstrapped him, he had loved it.

"That," he said, clearly stunned, "was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced."

I smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."

"To be doing that, every single day…" He shook his head. "I envy you, Maleficent. I wish I had a pair of wings of my own." He caressed my wings, his eyes shining when he felt the strong muscles underneath the feathers. "Thank you for taking me."

I curtsied, my wings brushing the forest floor as they moved with me. "It was my pleasure."

He ran his fingers through my long hair, looking like he wanted to say something, but not a word left his mouth. Instead, he traced my features with his fingers, studying me intently.

Then he shook his head, as if trying to rouse himself from his thoughts, and he smiled and held out a hand to me. "Come with me?"

I took his hand and allowed him to lead me back to our usual spot at the edge of the forest, where the sun was just setting. I looked out over the land, watching for a few moments as the sun illuminated the grass around us, before looking back at Stefan again. At the same moment, he turned to face me and took a deep breath.

"I want to give you something," he said. "For your birthday."

I tilted my head a little to the side. "Really?" I hadn't expected that and honestly, I was intrigued. I had never received a gift before, though I had given him one on _his _sixteenth birthday – a ring I had created using the gems in the pond of jewels he had tried to steal from, so long ago, on the day we first met. It was meant to both symbolise our first meeting and replace the ring he had once had; the iron one he had thrown away for my sake. I loved the look he had in his eyes when I gave it to him, the light that had filled them. He had lifted me off my feet and spun me around before hugging me tightly, whispering, "Thank you," in my ear.

Now, he smiled at me. "Yes, really," he said in reply to my question. "You're turning sixteen today, Maleficent. It's a special day and so you deserve a gift. Two gifts, actually," he corrected himself.

My eyebrows rose. "Two?" I shook my head. "Stefan, I don't need two gifts," I said, knowing full well that he needed the little money he made to keep himself alive. "Really, it's too much –"

"No, it's not," he cut me off, reaching in his pocket and pulling something out. He kept it locked in the palm of his hand with his fingers folded over it, preventing me from seeing what it was.

"Stefan," I tried again, "your money –"

Again, he cut me off. "I didn't pay for either of these gifts."

My eyebrows rose further until they almost disappeared into my hairline. Stefan chuckled upon seeing the look on my face.

"I didn't steal them, either," he said, amused. "I made them."

I could feel a slight, embarrassed blush creeping up my face – I realised I shouldn't immediately have assumed that he stole these gifts he was talking about, and I was a little ashamed that I had. I tried to ignore the blush, though, hoping that it would go away. "That's very kind of you," I said, my voice steady, "but you really didn't have to, Stefan. You probably had better things to do with your time."

"Not really," he said. "And I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to."

He took my hand in his, my palm facing up; and then he carefully placed the object he had been holding in his closed fist in the palm of my hand.

"Happy birthday, Maleficent," he said.

My mouth quite literally fell open as I looked down at the ring he had placed in my hand. It was made of wood, with a golden leaf on it, matching the ring I had given him. It was beautifully made and absolutely perfect.

"I love it," I said honestly. "Thank you so much, Stefan."

"I am glad you like it." He was smiling again. He looked at the sun as it slowly set behind me, causing my wings to stand out against the golden sky like silhouettes; and he reached out to touch them again.

"They're so beautiful," he whispered, slowly trailing his hand down my wings, stroking them. I shivered slightly at the feeling and he looked at me.

"Just like you."

I could only stare back at him as he moved his hand to my waist, drawing me closer slightly. My wings fluttered almost as if they had a will of their own as he slowly pulled me closer, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Are you ready for your second gift?" he whispered.

I nodded, holding my breath.

He tightened his grip on my waist, burying his other hand in my hair as he brought his face closer to mine and tenderly pressed his lips against my own.

My eyes closed and for a moment, it was like the world suddenly stood still. If it weren't for my wings holding me up, I was sure I would have stumbled, my knees buckling. I could feel his arms around me and his lips on mine, seemingly lasting forever until he finally pulled away. When I opened my eyes again, he was looking down at me, still smiling.

"That," he said softly, "was a true love's kiss."

Before I could say anything or respond in any way, he cupped my face and kissed me again, leaving me breathless this time.

"I love you, Maleficent."

I wound my arms around his neck and laid my head against his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat and closing my eyes.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Years later, after a night just like that one, I woke up screaming to an awful, burning pain. I sobbed as I tried to get myself together, pushing myself into a half-sitting position and reaching over my shoulder. There was a weight missing, a shadow that had followed me my entire life long. Something was wrong, I realised, my fear growing. Something was horribly, horribly wrong.

And then I looked over my shoulder and saw… nothing.

My wings.

Stefan took my wings.

I screamed again, my voice not sounding at all like my own as I howled in agony. My wails were echoing all throughout the forest, against the trees and the rocks, filling my ears, my heart and the world around me. I cried as the throbbing, stabbing pain ripped through me. My tears were dripping down my face and onto the forest floor.

I realised, however, that I did not know which pain was worse: the pulsing ache in my back where my wings had once been, or the searing pain I could feel in my heart.

* * *

More than sixteen years after that, as Diaval and I watched from behind a decorated screen how Phillip leant over to kiss Aurora's lips, those were the memories that flooded my mind. The joy and wonder, followed by the pain of betrayal and heartache. I was absolutely certain that I was right in what I had told Diaval before: there was no such thing as a true love's kiss. True love did not exist.

I could almost _feel _Diaval holding his breath as Phillip's lips touched Aurora's; and for the briefest moment, I found myself hopeful as well. Not everyone was like Stefan and not every love was the way Stefan's and mine had been. Maybe for Aurora, true love did exist. Maybe, just maybe, it was what would save her now.

Phillip moved back. The three fairies – those annoying, incompetent creatures! – fluttered around little Beastie's face, watching her for any sign of life. Phillip just stood there, staring down at her. The waiting seemed to last forever.

I gave up on it even before the others did – I averted my eyes and let out my breath in a sound that was something in between a huff and a mirthless laugh. Of course it didn't work. I felt stupid for even considering that it might work for the shortest moment. True love. Ha. Don't make me laugh.

The fairies started chattering in disappointment and Diaval looked at me, though I did not look back at him. I kept my gaze fixed on Aurora's face.

"I told you," was all I said, making sure my exterior was cold and emotionless, even though my heart was screaming.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This is the part where I think Maleficent will be a little OOC... though I did really enjoy writing her from Diaval's point of view. As I see it, he is practically the only one who knows her well and yet tests her limits a little all the time. I liked writing that... and I must admit I rather liked the final line of this, too.**

* * *

**Diaval**

When we watched Prince Phillip kiss Aurora and nothing happened, Maleficent said to me, "I told you".

Of course, when Maleficent's own 'true love's kiss' for Aurora _did _work, she wouldn't hear anything about it.

"It's not the same," she insisted. "I consider the girl a daughter and true love between mother and daughter is not the same as true love between a man and a woman."

"It so is," I told her smugly, but she only sent a death glare in my direction that made me swallow and keep my mouth shut about the subject.

"If you ever see true love between a man and a woman," she said sarcastically, "real, true love… _then _you can come back to me and tell me 'I told you so'. Not a second before. Is that clear?"

I bowed. "Challenge accepted."

Aurora became queen of both the Moors and her own kingdom, and Phillip visited her in the Moors quite often; but apart from them becoming very close friends, nothing seemed to happen. Not between them, anyway. I wouldn't say that time was entirely uneventful, because many changes occurred in both the Moors and the human kingdom. They had been unified now, and the entire land prospered under Aurora's reign.

And then, one day, it happened.

I was just sitting in a tree in my crow form, watching Maleficent – just because she'd relieved me of my duties as her servant, did not mean we weren't friends anymore; and I mostly spent my time keeping an eye on either her or Aurora, since they both had a tendency to get into trouble – when a man walked up to her.

If I had been in my human form, I would have grinned at the expression on her face. As fierce and unfazed as she was in the face of danger, she could be completely taken aback by a friendly gesture; and this man, as I discovered quickly, was _very _friendly.

"Excuse me," he said, causing her to turn around. He bowed. "Forgive me for being so bold," he said, "but I could not help but notice that the stories I heard about your beauty have not done you any justice by far."

Honestly, the look on her face was priceless.

"Excuse me?" she demanded.

The man looked at her. "Everyone has heard of you," he said. "The story is told across the mountains and on the other side of the sea. They call it the story of 'Sleeping Beauty'. The story of a beautiful princess, trapped in a sleeping enchantment, who was saved by her fairy godmother. That is you, is it not?"

"Yes," she admitted, frowning a little, clearly unsure of where this was going. Frankly, _I _was unsure of where this was going.

He stepped closer and took her hand in his, kissing it. "My name," he said, "is John, Duke of the Upper Rivers across the mountains."

She eyed him warily. "Welcome to the kingdom, John," was all she said.

He raised his gaze to meet hers. "Would you mind telling me your name?"

She faltered for the briefest moment and I knew she was remembering her and Stefan's first meeting now. She had told me all about it at some point – one of her 'weaker' moments, as she herself always referred to them, in which she would confide in me about her past.

But it wasn't the same as with Stefan. I could feel it.

"Maleficent," she said curtly in reply to his question.

"Maleficent," he repeated. He smiled. "That is a beautiful name. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

She looked decidedly uneasy, which, of course, amused me to no end.

"Though I must say that the name they call you in the stories suits you even better," he said. "'Beauty', I mean."

It took both her and me a while to realise what exactly he meant by that. Once I did, I had to keep myself from bursting out laughing. She, however, just narrowed her eyes at the duke.

"You thought _I _was Sleeping Beauty?" she asked him incredulously. "Are you out of your mind?"

Manners, Maleficent. Manners.

John did not seem to mind, though. "Aren't you?"

She let out a hollow laugh. "Of course not," she snorted. "Does the princess have horns and wings and magical powers in your stories? I'm the fairy godmother."

"So you _saved _the princess," he concluded, not missing a beat. She grumbled something under her breath, always reluctant to admit that she had done something good. To Aurora, she was a hero; but whenever the new queen told Maleficent that, the woman would just cackle and brush 'Beastie' off. Stubborn old hag.

"Forgive me my mistake," John said. "I saw you and I naturally assumed that because of your beauty, you were the princess they were talking about… I am sorry."

I would have snorted, had I been able to – that must have been the corniest thing I've ever heard – but Maleficent, much to my surprise, just waved her hand.

"It's fine," she said.

I could tell by her facial expression that she wanted him to leave, but he didn't, and she didn't make him. Instead, she watched vigilantly as he took her in, studying her as if she were some kind of rare animal. He looked intrigued at the horns on her head and I could just see his gaze sliding down, past her long, dark hair (which she had started wearing loose again), bright eyes, prominent cheekbones and red lips, only to travel over her shoulder to the wings behind her back.

"Magnificent," he whispered in awe, still smiling as he reached out. "May I touch them?"

She bristled. "No," she snapped, automatically pulling her wings back and up, out of his reach. She reminded me of a cat putting up its back.

Now, of course, John's eyes just widened even further, seeing her huge wings in all their majestic glory. He tore his gaze away from them, though, and focused on her face instead.

"It's okay," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She snorted. "No, but I might hurt _you_."

He didn't seem impressed at all. "Would you really?"

"You don't know me," she hissed, stepping away from him. I wanted to roll my eyes and yell at her. Sweet heavens above, Maleficent, do you not even know what it means to be nice?

"You're right, I don't," John agreed. "I'd like to, though."

Inwardly, I rooted for him.

Maleficent just sniffed and turned around. "Diaval!"

I came out of my hiding place, flying towards her. She changed me back into a human and asked, "What is Beastie up to?"

I sighed. "You really should stop calling her that."

She glared at me and I obediently pointed to the south. "Swimming with Phillip."

She nodded and walked off, clearly intending to go and check up on the girl. I turned around only to find John staring at me.

"I've never seen such powerful magic before," he said admiringly, staring at me, then at Maleficent's retreating back, and then back at me again.

I grinned at him and nodded in the direction the powerful fairy had disappeared in.

"Don't give up on her," I told him. I genuinely thought this man could thaw her a little, which was good for not just her, but all of us; and she deserved to have more people in her life to care about her. Heaven know she had, and still has, too little of those.

John nodded at me. "I wasn't going to," he said in reply to my remark.

My grin widened. "Good."

* * *

It took her weeks to let him befriend her, months to start trusting him, and years to let him in. More than once, I thought she was going to run away from him, or he was going to give up on her; but neither of them ever did what I expected them to do. He surprised me with his devotion to her. I asked him about it once and he said that he did not know what it was about her that drew him in, but he loved her and he was willing to give her all the time she needed.

I smirked, because I knew I would win. If this wasn't true love, nothing was.

Whenever people saw Maleficent, they were usually frightened or at the very least slightly intimidated. Her features, especially those enormous wings, sharp horns, and piercing eyes, tended to make people uncomfortable. They believed she was strong, or fierce, or evil, or untouchable. Not many people saw the hurt behind her mask. It had taken even me years of living by her side to see it, and I knew that what I saw now was not even the full extent to which her heart was broken. What she had showed me was only a fraction of what she had felt, and still did feel, because of Stefan's betrayal.

John, however, saw it. I think she knew that, and that was why she cautiously allowed him to get closer and closer until he was so far in there was no way she could ever push him out again.

I watched them grow closer and closer. I witnessed their first kiss and some other… first times… as well (no, I did not stay to watch. Of course not. I am not a pervert. I flew off once I realised that _that _was where they were heading).

One early morning, I was perched in a tree, careful to stay out of sight. John and Maleficent had travelled to the top of some high rocks in the Moors, from where a waterfall fell down into a large pool below. They – and I – could see all the way to the humans' palace from here. It was a beautiful spot. Romantic. Even Maleficent wouldn't be able to disagree with that.

I'd been out here all night, watching them. I knew that Maleficent was always still afraid of losing her wings again and ever since she had gotten them back, she had been restless in sleep, always tossing and turning, sometimes having nightmares, and waking up multiple times each night. I never mentioned it and neither did she. I did, however, always keep an eye on her when she slept. Just in case.

She was still asleep now, with her head against John's shoulder. He was awake and watching her; trailing his fingers along her wings and her face, pressing a soft kiss to her hair. I looked away and started picking at my feathers, purely to give myself something to do.

My head snapped back when I heard her cry out. She shot up straight, eyes wide and chest heaving, her hand immediately reaching over her shoulder. When her fingers touched the feathers of her wings, she let out an audible sigh of relief.

John tentatively touched her arm. "Did you have another nightmare?"

She just nodded and he folded her in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. I saw the way her wings drew towards him, proving once again that she trusted him.

"Hey, Beauty?" he whispered after a while. He had started calling her that in the very beginning and even though she pretended to despise it, I secretly suspected her to like it more than she let on.

She made a noise in her throat to let him know she'd heard him, and he ran his fingers through her hair as he spoke.

"I lied to you, the first time we met," he said.

She immediately sat up, alarmed. "What?"

"I knew you weren't Sleeping Beauty," he said. "The stories spoke of her golden hair and they distinctly told that she was human. The moment I saw you, I knew it couldn't be you."

She furrowed her brow. "Why did you come to me, then?" she demanded. "And why did you pretend to mistake me for her?"

He shrugged. "Because I meant what I said that day," he said simply. "You were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. This is going to sound really stupid, but I just needed an opening to talk to you and I couldn't really think of anything else," he confessed sheepishly.

I felt like banging my head against a rock. Even I, having spent most of my life in an animal form, could have thought of a better way to approach a woman.

Maleficent kept looking at him for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. She tilted her head a little to the side.

"I still don't understand," she said. "Why in the world did you take the effort to get to know me? Most people would have left me alone after my first sneer in their direction… but you just kept coming back. Why? What was so special about me that you _had _to try to come closer?"

He smiled. "You just looked like you needed someone who cared," he said.

She, of course, had no reply to that.

They kissed. I turned around and flew off.

* * *

They got married on a beautiful day in the spring.

Aurora and Phillip were present and so was I, of course; along with almost every other magical creature from the Moors. Aurora had been gushing over the incredible wedding dress she and the fairies had made ever since they had finished it, a few months ago, and the entire kingdom was buzzing with the news. Wherever I went, the upcoming wedding was usually the main topic of conversation.

As I watched Aurora and some of the fairies help Maleficent get ready, just before the ceremony would start, I managed to hold my tongue. I didn't even make a sound when they left and Maleficent turned around to face me, raising one eyebrow, her eyes piercing.

"If you have anything to say," she said, "then say it."

I played stupid. "What should I say?" I was grinning, though. The fact that she was willing to _marry _John meant that she really loved him, and we both knew that. So far for true love not existing. She couldn't be right about _everything_, after all – no matter how badly she wanted to be.

Her other eyebrow went up as well and my grin widened. "You look beautiful," I bowed, "Mistress." Then I brushed past her in order to take my place amongst the guests. As I did so, however, I could not resist bumping my shoulder against hers and whispering in her ear, "I told you so."

The fact that I had to spend the rest of that day in the form of a worm was totally worth it.

* * *

**That was it... I hope you liked it. Please let me know in a review! :)**


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